Spike-retainer.



J. E. BURKE.

SPIKBBBTAINER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2'7, 1914.

' Patented Ju ly 14,1914

.llllllll I JAMES E'RIORKE, or BAY omnnronleen.

SPIKE-RETAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1914.

Application filed. January 27, 1914. SerialNo. 814,718.

I To a ZZ QohO-m, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. RoRKE, a

tenant the United States, residing at I Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of lllichigan, have invented certain new and useful- Improvements in Spike-Retainers, of which the following is a specification.

,, This invention relates to improvements in spike retainers and one of the objects is to provide a retainer which coacts with the rail and tie, and also withthe spike, tohold the latter in its driven position;

Afu'rther'object is to provide a spike retainer wherein the means -for holding a spike in its driven position is located below the top of the retainer and in a concealed position with respect to the exterior of the retainer.

A further object is to provide a retainer which will act to force the spike into tight engagement against the rail flange when a train passes over the rail, and wherein depressionof the rail by a passing train will also serve to impart a thrust tothe spike in the direction into which it has been driven to serve to force the spike into its driven position as a result of load upon the rail.

Further objects of the invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be moreparticularly pointed out and ascertained in and by the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a spike retainer and my improved spike applied to av rail and tie. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a developed plan of the retainer as the same appears when formed in a blank.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different fig-. ures of the drawing.

As illustrated, 1 designates a railway tie and 2 designates-a rail having rail flanges 3.

My improved retainer comprises, as

shown in Fig. 3, a plate strip blank having a reduced central portion 4 and widened end portions 5 and 6. The end portion 5 is provided with a spike hole 7 and end portion 6 is provided with a spike hole 8 which are shown rectangular in form andof the same size with respect toeach other. The plate strip is bent upon itself..jto dispose the end portion 6 upon the end portion 5 in a position between the rail andtie' as shown in Fig.1 1. I bend the plate strip. in such a inanner that theopenings 7 and 8 will offset with respect to each other so that the outer margin 9,1 of the opening 8, will overhang the outer margin 10 of the lower opening 7.

such that it will tightly engage the lateral 'walls 12 and 130}? the, openings '7 and 8, respectively, but the spike is not of sufficient cross section .to engage both of the end margins 14 and 15 oftheopenings 7 and 8 so that therewill therefore-be clearance between the inner margin of the upper open ing and the outer margin of the lower openin". The 'openings or holes 7 and 8 are oti set to to such an extent that they will, together, form a square opening when in the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the spike 11 will engage three wall margins of the upper opening and three wall margins of the lower opening. Said spike is provided with arretaining shoulder 16 which is dis posed below the head 17 of the spike and which is provided with a flat upwardly facing shoulder portion and an inclined side portion, the latter merging into the body of the spike 11 as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

When the spike is driven into the openings or holes 8 and 7, the retaining shoulder 16 ,will displace the upper portion 6 until it reaches the point below the same and into the free rear clearance in opening or hole 7 where the shoulder will be in a position subjacent to the overhanging margin 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This shoulder 16 is positioned a sufhcient distance below the head 17 so that when the head 17 is in engagement with the rail flange, the retaining shoulder 16 will be in engagement with the overhanging wall 1 margin 9. After the shoulder 16 has passed through the opening 8, and into engagement with the lower face of the upper portionG, the latter, will, by its engagement with the retain ng shoulder 16 serve to hold-the spike in a driven position by reason of theweight of the rail 2 on the retaineryand engagement of the head 17. with therail flange 3 will limit entering of the spike into the tie body. .7

The plate strip is bent to form/an open loop 19 which affords suflicient resiliency to normally hold the end portions 5 and 6 in the relation shown in Fig. 1. Thus after the retainingshoulder 16 springs the upper portion 6 away from the rail to permit the spike to be driven down into theposition shown in Fig. 1, the resilient bent'portion or loop 19 will serve to spring the end portion 6 back to the position shown in Fig. 1. in order that the resilient portion may always'be effective, andto perform a further function which will now be disclosed, I bend the lower end portion 5 reversely intothe bend of the loop portion 19, as indicated at 20, so as to force the end portion 5'apart from the tie a slight distance, as indicated at 21, the bearing portion on the tie being indicated at 22. Now when the train passes over therail, descent of-therrail will cause the upper portion 6 to engage the retaining 5 shoulder 16 and impart a downward thrust on the spike, and it will engage the lower portion 5 with the tie so as to impartthrust through the loop 19 to the upperportion 6 and force the margin 9 against the back of t the spike so as to insure retention of the margin 9 over the retaining shoulder 16 and also force the spike against the flange I Thus it will be seen that load on the rail not only serves to impart downward thrust to the spike but it also'imparts thrust to the spike to insure engagement of the head 17 with the rail flange.

In Fig. 1, 'I have shown-the retainer in two parts but it will be obvious that the lower portions 5 can be made in one piece so that the retaining structure consists of a single piece of metal extending beneath the rails for engagement with the spikes on opposite sides thereof.

While I have herein shown and described specific forms of my invention, I do not wish to be limited theretoexcept for such limitations as the claims may import.

40 1. A railway spike retainer comprising a plate strip bent upon itself to'dispose its free ends between the tie and rail and having spike holes adjacent the rail flange, the

spike hole of the upper strip portion being 4.5 offset with respect to the spike hole in the lower strip portion in a direction -toward the rail to dispose the outer margin of the upper hole in overhanging relation with the outer margin of the lower hole, and a spike adapted to be driven through said holes into the tie and having a lug below its head for displacing the upper strip portion in passing therethrough and engaging the lower face of the overhanging margin of the upper strip to retain the spike in its driven position in the tie, the bent portion being resilient to permit of displacement of the strip ends and return the strip ends to initial po sitions, substantially as described.

2. A railway spike retainer comprising a plate strip bent upon itself to dispose its free.ends bet-ween the tie and rail and having spike holes adjacent the rail flange, the spike hole .of the upper end portion bemg ofl'set with respect to the spike hole in the be driven through said holes into the tie and "0 other, and a spike adapted tolbe driven lower end portion in a direction toward the rail to dispose the outer margin of the upper hole in overhanging relation with the. outer margin of the lower hole, a -spike adapted'to having a lug below-its head for displacing the upper end portion passing therethrough and engaging the lower face of the overhanging margin of the upper strip to retain the'spike in its driven position in the tie, the bend of the plate strip being resilient to permit. of displacement of the strip ends and return the strip ends-to their initial position, and. said strip being bnt reversely to the first-named bend to provide a supportso ing portion on the first-named bend for normally holding the lower end of the strip out of engagement with the tie to thereby engage the upper strip end against the back of the spike and force the same against the 35 rail flange upondepression of the rail, substantially as described. H

3. A railway spike retainer comprising a plate strip bent upon itself and having its free ends interposed between said rail and tie in superposed relation, said free ends having elongated spike holes disposed in olfset relation with respect to each other in the direction of their elongation, and a spike shaped to snugly fit said holes laterally of their elongated ends. and be driven through said holes into the tie and having a retaining shoulder for displacing the. upper strip end with respect to the lower strip end and adapted to engage the lower face of the upper strip end to retain the spike in its driven. position, said spike having a head in such vertical spaced relation with respect to said shoulder as to engagetherail flange when said shoulder is in engagement; with the lower face of said upper strip end substantially as described.

4:. A railway spike retainer structure including superposed plates interposed between the rail and tie and including spring means foryieldingly holding said plates in predetermined relation'with respect to each 7 other, said plates having spike holes disposed in effect relation with'respect to eachthrough said holes-into said tie and having a retaining shoulder for displacing one of saidplates with respect to the other and engaging one of said plates to retain the spike in its driven position, substantially as described.

5. A railway, spike retainer structure in cluding superposed plates interposed be-- tween the rail and tie aiid provided with spike openings or hole s, and a spike adapted to be driven through said openings into the tie and having a retaining portion for engaging cne of said plates when ina driven position, substantially as described. 1

6. A railway spike retainer structure in- 9 eluding superposed plates interposed between the rail and tie and spring means for yieldingly holding the plates in predetermined relation With respect to each other, said plateshaving spike holes disposed in ofiset relation with respect to each other, and a spike adapted to be driven through said holes into the tie and having a retaining shoulder for displacing one plate with respect to each other and to engage one plate to hold the spike in its driven position, and said spike having a head disposed in such vertical spaced relation with respect to said shoulder as to engage the rail when said shoulder engages the retainer structure, substantially as described.

7. A railway spike retainer structure ineluding superposed plates interposed between the rail and the tie and having spike to each other, and a spike adapted to be driven through said holesinto the tie and having a retainer shoulder for displacing the upper plate with respect to the lower plate and engaging the lower face of the .upper plate, said retainer structure including spring means for normally holding the lower plate out of engagement with the tie and imparting thrust against the back of the spike through the upper plate to :{Foree the spike against the rail when load is imposed thereon, substantially as describeda In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. BURKE. W'itnesses:

HURELIS M. READY, JOHN L. AVERILL.

Copies of this' patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Eatenta.

' Washington, 1L0. 

